C-reactive protein serum level in patients with psoriasis before and after treatment with narrow-band ultraviolet B

Abstract: Background: C-reactive protein is an inflammatory biomarker and its level increases in the serum of psoriatic patients. Its level is also associated with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the decrement of serum C-reactive protein level with narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) therapy. Methods: C-reactive protein serum levels in psoriasis patients were measured before and after treatment with NB-UVB and the data were analyzed in relation to the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score improvement. Results: Baseline C-reactive protein levels among psoriatic patients were higher than normal. These levels decreased significantly after treatment (P<0.001). At the beginning of the study, patients with higher levels of C-reactive protein also had more extensive and severe skin involvement. The highest decrease in C-reactive protein was observed in patients who responded better to the treatment and achieved a higher Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 75%. There was an association between baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores and C-reactive protein levels. Conclusion: Patients with moderate to severe plaque-type psoriasis had active systemic inflammation, which was demonstrated by increased levels of C-reactive protein. Furthermore, skin disease severity was correlated with C-reactive protein levels. Phototherapy healed the psoriatic skin lesions and reduced inflammation, while decreasing C-reactive protein levels.

[Comparison of the frequency of diabetes mellitus in the patientswith lichen planus and normal controls: a case-control study]

Lichen planus [LP] is a cutaneous disease characterized by violaceus flat topped papules in variable size. It may involve body surface areas such as mocus membranes. Some studies have reported an association between oral LP ad diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of diabetes mellitus between patients with and individuals without LP. A case-control study was done on 30 patients suffering oral LP as case group and 60 healthy individuals as control group. Diagnosis of oral LP was confirmed by typical clinical and histopathologic findings. Participants in control group were selected from general population after matching for sex and age. Venipuncture was done to take 5 ml blood sample for measuring fasting serum blood glucose levels in both groups. A repeated blood sampling was done for ones with abnormal results in the first sampling. Findings of the study were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 statistical software. Thirty LP patients [man 13 [43.3%], woman 17 [56.7%]] with mean age [mean +/- stabdard deviation] of 46 +/- 13.7 years and 60 healthy individuals [man 26[43.3%], woman 34 [56.7%]] with mean ages of 46 +/- 14 years were recruited to this study. In case group only one person [3.3%] suffered from diabetes mellitus, but none of healthy group had fasting blood sugar above the normal value. In quantative evaluation, mean level of fasting blood sufar was 102.5 +/- 33 mg/dL in case group and 111.1 +/- 49.3 mg/dLin control group [P=0.09]. The frequency of diabetes mellitus was not significantly different between the case and the control groups